Nigerian Law School slams 5yr-ban on Baze varsity for over-admission

Nigerian Law School (NLS) has hit the Baze University, Abuja with a five-year ban for over-admission of students into the institution’s Faculty of Law programme.

According to the NLS, the act by the privately-run Baze University has left a backlog of over 347 students awaiting admission into the mandatory law programme for law graduates. in the country.

The NLS provides practical Nigerian legal education to foreign-trained lawyers, and Nigerian graduates of tertiary institutions for legal practice in Nigeria

The Baze University, Abuja, is a private tertiary institution founded in 2011 by Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the just-concluded 2023 election. Also, the institution’s immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Tahir Mamman, is now the country’s Minister of Education, appointed in August, this year.

Announcing the sanctions, in a statement, Friday, the acting Secretary and Director of Administration of the NLS, Aderonke Osho, said the decision to place a five-year ban on Baze University over its over-admission into its Law faculty was taken at the school’s Quarterly Meeting held on Thursday, November 23, which she further disclosed was based on the report by the Council of Legal Education.

Ms Osho said the institution was found to have a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School, as she further added that the consequent ban would allow the NLS clear the backlog from the school.

Accusing the Abuja-based tertiary institution of ‘flagrantly’ flouting its admission quota of 50 students per session, the NLS alleged that since 2017 it has grappled with the excesses of Baze University, which it added has admitted over 750 law students, ‘an act that ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the University.’

“At its Quarterly Meeting held on November 23, 2023, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) presided over by its Chairman, Chief Emeka Ngige, SAN, OFR considered the report of the Accreditation panel to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja.

“It emerged from the findings by the Panel led by the Director-General, Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, SAN, that: Baze University consistently and most flagrantly had contravened its admission quota of 50 students per session as approved by the Council of Legal Education with the result that the Faculty is currently having a backlog of over 347 law students waiting to be admitted into the Nigerian Law School.

“Since 2017 the Council of Legal Education had grappled with the excesses of Baze University by admitting over 750 law students which ordinarily would have taken about 15 years of admission based on the quota allotted to the University.

“Baze University runs a three (3)-year LL.B programme for some UTME candidates without the approval of National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB and Council of Legal Education.

“Under the NUC Minimum Benchmark Academic Standard (BMAS) for law degree programme in Nigerian Universities, Law is a five (5)-year programme for UTME candidates and four (4)-year for Direct Entry students.

“The Council of Legal Education after thorough consideration of these infractions resolved as follows: The imposition of a moratorium on admission of law students to the Faculty of Law, Baze University, Abuja, with immediate effect;

“The moratorium will last in the first instance for a period of 5 years and may be renewed if no satisfactory action is taken to remedy the situation.

“The Council in the interest of the innocent students, parents and guardians will use the 5 year period to find ways to deal with the backlog of law students admitted by Baze University in excess of its admission quota.

“Follow-up visits will be paid to the University to ascertain the extent of the measures it has taken to remedy the anomalies observed during the accreditation visit.

“The National Universities Commission (NUC), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Parents, guardians, prospective applicants and members of the public are hereby put on notice on the status of Baze University Abuja and its faculty of Law,” the statement read.